this post was submitted on 10 May 2024
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It doesn't matter what size car Americans build, they simply can't compete. Larger vehicles are a cultural preference and fits the American environment.
If this was true, the Chinese EVs could be allowed in and no one would buy them. I personally want a smaller car that can comfortably seat 5 and has additional safety and comfort features (backup cameras, lane assist, heat pump climate control, etc.). This could easily be done with a sedan, hatchback, or station wagon. The only cars that have these features that I know of are SUVs.
Not exactly true when they're selling them for $10k-$15k. The Bolt is comparable to a Chinese EV and they only sell around 2k per month while something like the Model 3 sells 50k per month.
If you lowered the price of the Bolt to the price of a 10 year old used Camry, I'm sure it would sell a lot better but this is an artificial price that completely distorts the market and puts a lot of people out of work for what amounts to a temporary savings. This is the whole point of tariffs. They level the playing field for everyone.
Where I live, the base model of the Chevy Bolt is $41k, and doesn't have heat pump climate control (or isn't talking about it). It also doesn't look like it would seat 5 comfortably. Now, even without the spectre of financially supporting Elon's antics, I don't see a lot of reason to pay another $10k for a reasonably similar car. People are weird. 🤷♂️
Often what people say they want and what they actually spend their money on are not even in the same ballpark. This reminds me of all the guys from /r/Cars who'd say they dream of some stripped down vehicle with crank windows and no features but when manufacturers make them, nobody actually buys them.